Ballots for school levy votes due Tuesday

Turnout expected to be around 50%; could aid B.G. effort

With time ticking away, April's special election is shaping up to have turnout that's higher than expected.

As of Friday, 17,742 ballots have been turned into the Clark County Elections Office. With 39.9 percent of the ballots returned, the county expects turnout to be around 50 percent.

"That's a little higher than the February election," said Cathie Garber, the county's assistant elections supervisor.

Voters within the Battle Ground, La Center and Green Mountain school districts have until Tuesday at 8 p.m. to cast their votes in the school district-dominated special election.

Battle Ground Public Schools is proposing a four-year maintenance and operations levy, which failed once in February. Meanwhile, La Center is offering a six-year capital fund levy, and the Green Mountain School District is proposing a four-year capital levy to purchase land.

If voter turnout ends up being around 50 percent, it could benefit the chances of Battle Ground's levy passing, Garber said.

The last time a Battle Ground levy passed, in 2010, voter turnout was 49 percent.

With ballots trickling in, the cost of the election is also coming into focus.

The county said the election could cost as much as $87,100, although Garber considers that a "high estimate."

The bulk of that, $75,000, would come from Battle Ground, she said. La Center would pay $11,000 and Green Mountain would chip in $1,100.